Tennessee Assistant Principal on Leave After Sexist Remarks About Dress Code
The Assistant Principal and Athletic Director of a Tennessee high school has been put on leave after saying girls are to blame for new dress code rules.
Jared Hensley, the assistant principal and athletic director at Soddy-Daisy High School, made a video that was broadcast to students Wednesday morning informing them that athletic shorts would no longer be allowed under the school's dress code. Hensley then said that the girls at the school were to blame for the change in dress code, and that girls "pretty much ruin everything."
The video was quickly taken down by the school, but was reported by the Chattanooga Times Free Press. According to ESPN, the Hamilton County Superintendent Bryan Johnson released a statement just hours after the video was initially broadcast, announcing that Hensley was put on leave for his comments,
We find the comments about young women in this video inexcusable, as the sentiments expressed do not align with the values of Hamilton County Schools. The situation is under investigation, and this employee has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately.
While many have condemned Hensley for his comments, #TeamHensley began trending on social media with students, parents, and teachers expressing their support of Hensley. While some say it was a joke that was blown up and taken out of context, others have chosen to focus on the good Hensley has done for the school. The school's senior class president, Paige Dunny, posted her support to Facebook, saying she's not defending his actions, just the person she knows Hensley to be,
I’m not one to post my opinions, let alone on Facebook, but I believe it needs to be said that Mr. Hensley is one of the most caring members of the Soddy Daisy High School faculty. I’m not trying to defend what he said, which was distasteful and shouldn’t of been said in the first place, but I will defend Hensley as a person. I personally had him as a gym teacher, and I can say that not once did he make any sexist remarks or treat us any less because we were girls. He also goes out of his way to say hello and ask how I’m doing every time I pass him in the hallways. I’m not trying to discredit anyone else’s opinion, because I believe that we each have a right to believe what we want to believe. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself and say that as the Soddy Daisy Senior Class Vice President, I 100% stand behind Mr. Hensley.
While the hashtag supporting Hensley started gaining popularity, Knox News reports that #TeamNoExcuses also began being shared across platforms, demanding that Hensley be held accountable for his statement.